Anodic rod holder



June 1953v w. .c. WELLMABII 2,642,391

ANODIC ROD HOLDER Filed May 29, 1950 'INVENTOR WALTER c WELLMAN ATTORNEYPatented June 16, 1 953 UNITED. STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE v V N 7 12,642,39p Nonro ROD HOLDER I Walter o. weummi, Middleville, Michg'fa's'signor toWhite Products Company, Middleville, Michr, a corporation of MichiganApplication May 29, 1950, Serial-No. 164,989

1 Claim.

This invention relates to attachment fittings for liquid containingvessels, and more particularly to a fitting employed as a liquid passageand as a mounting membersupporting a sacrificial anode within theconfines of the vessel.

For along time it has been recognized that steel tanks, even thoughgalvanized or treated in other ways, are subject to internal corrosionwhen used as hot water heaters and storage tanks. It has been discoveredthat this corrosion may be considerably reduced through the use of asacrificial anode, preferably formed from one of the light metals, suchas magnesium, suspended in the water in the tank and electricallyconnected to the tank wall. Under these conditions, with the electricalcircuit being completed by the water, the tank wall acts as a cathodeand the sacrificial member acts as an anode in the well known manner.

Problems previously encountered in the mounting of anodic members in hotwater tanks have been largely concerned with establishing a properelectrical contact between the rod and the tank member, a connectionwhich must be of a permanent character and not subject to deterioration,and of constructing a small mounting which is readily removable and bymeans of which the anode member may be replaced when needed.

I have provided a combination anodic rod holder and water connectormember of small size, formed so that it is easily removable from thetank for inspection or replacement of the anode.

I have also provided a novel mounting by means of which my combinationanodic rod holder and water connection is held to the tank member.

It is an object of this invention to provide an anodic rod holder whichmay easily be installed in or removed from a hot water storage tank.

A further object is to provide a combination anodic rod holder and waterconnection having exceptional electrical conductive characteristics.

Further objects and advantages in my invention will be apparent from aconsideration of the following specification in connection with theappended claim and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. I is a view partially in section, with certain parts broken away,and showing my anodic rod holder and water connection mounted in thewall of a hot water storage tank, and

Fig. II is a transverse section of the anodic rod holder and waterconnector, particularly showing the water conducting ports therein.

As particularly shown in Fig. I, in mounting 2 my anodic rod holder andwater connector I have used the invention shown in Patent No. 2,473,669to Gerald E. White, which discloses a tank port formed in the wall of atank. In the wall, or preferably the head ID of a tank, there is formed,by extrusion, a. draw neck I 2 having an outwardly inclined extremity Hto hold in place a port ring I6. The port ring [6 is fashioned with aplurality of threaded attachment holes l8, so that it may be used incombination with a clamping ring 20 and suitable attachment means suchas the cap screws 22 for maintaining a fitting thereon. It will beappreciated that the outwardly flared end [4 of the draw neck 12 isfinished to form an annular sealing surface.

The anodic rod holder and water-connector is preferably of castformation having a main hollow body 24 presenting a hollow connectorportion 26 adapted to be connected to a water pipe 28 as shown.

The lower end of the body 24 presents a flange 30, and, subtendingtherefrom, the tubular fitting portion 32, which is internally threadedwith a standard tapered pipe thread 34. The anodic rod 36, of anydesired length, is externally threaded with the standard tapered pipethread 38 by means of which it is attached to the fitting member 32 ofthe holder. The sacrificial anodic rod 36 may be installed tightlyenough in the tapered thread 34 so that water does not enter the threadto build up corroded salts which are very poor electrical conductors.

The shank 32 of the holder is formed with a pair of apertures 40situated above the thread 34 and below the flange 30 to serve as waterpassages to permit water to enter the inside of the hollow body 24 andto exit therefrom through the pipe 28. The two apertures 40 should be ofsuflicient size in total area as to permit a flow therethrough of thefull capacity of the pipe 28.

Referring again to Fig. I, it will be appreciated that the anodic rodholder and water connector is positioned with a gasket 42 clampedbetween the sealing surface [4 and the flange 30. The clamping actionbetween the tank port ring I6 and the clamping ring 20 is accomplishedby use of the cap screws 22. With the anodic rod 36 securely screwedinto the thread 34, water will enter the hollow body part 24 through theaper- I tures 40 and leave via the pipe 28.

Having described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

In combination, a tank having a wall with an opening defined by anoutwardly projecting neck carrying a mounting ring on the outer side ofthe 3 4 tank, a sacrificial rod holder and liquid connector through saidclearance between the interior 01' comprising a liquid conduit fittingin the form said body part and the tank, said body part havof a hollowbody part having a flange imposed ing an exterior opening on the outwardside of upon said mounting ring, said body having a said flangeconnecting with said radial openings relatively short internallythreaded neck proj ect- 5 through the hollow interior of the said bodypart.

ing inwardly of said flange to receive the threaded WALTER C. WELLMAN.end of a sacrificial rod to be disposed in the interior of the. tank 2:with said ithreadedneck at References-xcited in ,the *file of: this:patent the point of connection-with said'rod beingsub-A V ESTATES-.PATENTS stantially flush with the tank wall, said neck 10 havingsubstantial clearance with the inside of? Number Name Date saidoutwardly projecting flange, said neck hav- 3 Holland 91 2 ing radialopenings above the rod "receiving 235942 Bates et 11, 19 9 threadedportion and disposed-oppositesaid out:- 2,473,669 White June 1949 wardlyprojecting neck for-Lthe :flowofjliquid;

